Chapter 1
=========

The whitewashed room was comfortably spacious and lavishly appointed with
luminous pearl furniture that reflected the light with a warm halo. Slender
chairs of burnished silver flanked a desk that stood by the open windows, its
surface inlaid with the effigy of a cerulean topaz angel. A man perched
cautiously upon one of chairs. His cobalt blue skin marked him as one of the
merian race more than anything else as his bald head featured no fins, nor did
his limbs. His slanted eyes were cast down upon the hands gathered within his
lap and the corners of his lips tilted downwards in apparent sadness.

He wrung his hands once nervously and then adjusted his homespun grey robes,
evening out any creases before casting his eyes around the room. Slowly, he took
in the details - a painting of Raziela, the Loving Radiance amidst daisy blooms,
smiling brightly, graced one of the walls whilst a bas-relief of chubby cherubs
framed the only door into the office which presently swung open.

He jumped to his feet like a child caught misbehaving and froze beholding the
regal female figure paused in the doorway. Pristine white robes of fine silk
embroidered with a golden thread clung to her shapely form and an abundance of
gleaming golden jewellery sparkled from her fingers and brow in an ostentatious
display of wealth and self-righteousness. She strode into the room with a
radiant smile and headed for her seat at the desk dismissively waving at the
man's bows and hails.

Sitting daintily behind the desk she offered warmly, "I am delighted to see you
again, Nereshka." She gestured for him to sit down and he followed suit but
remained noticeably tense as if the seating was uncomfortable.

"What brings you this time to my humble office, dear sir?" she continued
lightly. "Another revolutionary invention? Truly, the healers are still simply
delirious with the wound-sealing glue and here you are within my office again."

He cleared his throat once and spoke in a slightly raspy voice, "Thank you,
Magistrate, but no, not this time. My beloved..." he paused and looked to the
side, escaping her hardened gaze. Then, blurting out, "She is ill and no healer
I have come across so far has been able to even diagnose her, least of all
provide a cure. I am hoping the Celestine Healers will be able to save her, she
grows weaker by the day."

He looked up slowly to meet a gaze that could have been forged by Methranton
himself upon her aristocratic features. "We are tolerant of your relationship,"
she began, her voice matching the frigidness of her eyes, "But we do not
encourage it, and least of all will not squander our resources upon the likes of
her. She has willingly cast aside our benevolent aegis once, we shan't offer it
again."

Breathlessly, the man spoke after a spell, "She has strayed from her path
clearly. She- she should be offered another chance, she changed, Celestines
changed since too and-" he paused as her noticed the Magistrate's jaw grow more
rigid as if she could barely keep her temper in check. He ventured too far.
Instead, he followed more quietly down a different venue, "I have done so much
for the Celestines, the Empire, I continue to strive for its benefit."

She interrupted him there with a gesture of a hand, coldly, "And we are
grateful for your input, naturally. You are not, however, doing it for favours,
are you? You are, as befits a Celestian citizen, seeking to promote the Light in
the fashion that you have been blessed by the Supernals to do, no?" She focused
her bright blue eyes gleaming like refined steel upon him then, the silence
lengthening after her inquisition.

Nereshka licked over his dried up lips slowly, considering his options, limited
that they were. Finally, he offered, "Yes... of course. I do find it so hard to
focus on my work though whilst my heart yearns to help her. You can understand
that at least, Magistrate?" And he looked up at her with genuine despair stamped
over his face, his hands clutched at his robes helplessly.

The woman offered a fake smile in reply, a slow, chilling and utterly cruel
smile, as she spoke, "Ambiguous and many are the tests that the Supernals bestow
upon us, Nereshka. If such is transpiring, clearly there ought to be a reason
for such. Be it a punishment for her sins," she wrinkled her nose in distaste,
"or a trial of faith and commitment for you, her being just a tool used to
measure and strengthen your resolve here."

His forehead marred by deep creases, the man stood up slowly, a mixture of
disbelief and distaste struggling on his face to finally be replaced by
composure. The woman watched him struggle, her half-smile frozen on her
features, and then said her goodbyes, coldness not leaving her eyes for one
second. Nereshka bowed and slowly made it for the door to finally vanish behind
them.

The Magistrate leaned back into her chair and watched him leave. After a
moment, she looked behind her and waved her hand imperiously in the window's
direction, the light bending under her command to reveal an archangel leaned
against the pristine wall. "He won't catch on our involvement, will he? That
would be unfortunate and counterproductive", she murmured annoyed in his
direction.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. It shall, nonetheless, definitely be... interesting",
the picture of innocence and holiness commented in reply, a serene smile on his
lips.

Chapter 2
=========

Something stirred amidst the bedding with a soft moan. A female hand protruded
from beneath one of the sheets and shaking reached for a glass of water. The
glass was empty. The woman sat up with difficulty, her whole body shaking with
chills despite beads of sweat gathered on her forehead.

The open balcony doors admitted a warm breeze and the irritating scent of a
seaport somewhere nearby. She shook in response and clutched the glass in her
hands. She let her gaze travel around the cluttered bedroom in search for
anything to drink, her eyes focusing hard to see through the darkness pervading
the room. Finally she located a bottle and was about to slide off the bed when a
thud from somewhere beyond the bedroom announced someone arriving.

The woman quickly clambered back into the middle of the large bed, her breath
strained already from the exercise, and was just covering up when the door
opened. Nereshka paused at the door leaning against the doorframe, a frown on
his face at the sight of her attempts.

"Darlin'..." he whispered and with expertise quickly ascertained her need to be
linked with the empty glass. Lifting up a fresh bottle already clutched in his
hand he made his way for the bed.

"Premonition?" she smiled softly, a beautiful smile on a tired face. "You seem
to know what I shall desire even before I do, despite it me being the one with a
divining gift", she finished accepting a full glass and taking a sip.

"I dare say it had to pass on with your kisses, beloved" he returned with a
short laugh. "Perhaps a few more and I could rid you entirely of those
nightmares it causes" he finished more seriously watching the woman drink, the
smile gone off his face to be replaced by worry.

Lifting a hand to his lips she stopped him, "Shh... let us not dwell on that.
The nightmares have receded with the chills and fever. When I am healthy... when
I am healthy I will travel to Magnagora again and request another audience with
the Prophets. Their guidance has allowed me to control my gift much more."

"Ah Aandra..." he muttered and nodded. Then, with resolve, "Tell me again of
the travel please." Seeing her desire to raise objections he added hastily,
"Please, I need it. I want to know every detail, every trail you travelled,
every tree you touched. If I can find where and what it is..."

She caught him mid-sentence, "You? Nereshka...". She fell silent for a moment,
he did not say a word. "They said no?" and to his grim nod she followed, "I
see... that was to be expected. I would have loathed to see even one scum of
theirs anyhow."

"Tell me again?"

Her shoulders slumped and she huddled up with her knees close to her chest,
shuddering with her glass as she spoke. "You know there was that accident at the
Magnagoran harbours that thwarted all movement in and out of the city that way
back then. So I had to travel as I could, make my way around the Crystal Sea and
through the Balach Swamp and then skirting the isles."

"I did not eat or drink anything at the swamps, I don't think... no. I did not
rest there either. I spent the night in a small mugwump camp of researchers and
then made my way for Magnagora. By the time I was done with my visit, the
harbours had been sorted and I sailed back home. And then it started..."

Nereshka sighed and nodded having had heard the story over and over again till
it was emblazoned within his memory. "Each time I hope I might hear something
new, something that will resurface in your memory... something. Worry not
darlin' o' mine. I will cure you. I will cure you even if I have to turn the
Holy Empire upside down!" he grinned and she giggled in reply much to his
obvious delight.

"Oh, so you just might." an angelic figure whispered perched upon the balcony,
unseen and unheard by anyone.